Water System Report LA

Gowc East Water System

EPA ID: LA1073121 · 11,742 people served · 7 ZIP codes

Zero EPA violations over five years — Gowc East Water System has kept tap water compliance clean for its full service population of 11,742.

Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02

11,742
People Served
7
ZIP Codes Served
0
Violations (5yr)
Groundwater
Water Source
0
Contaminants Flagged
$167K
Median Home Value in Service Area

Compliance Trajectory

Worsening · Risk tier: High · 95% chance of violation in next 12 months

Violations went from 8 (2021) to 16 (2025). The pattern suggests growing compliance challenges.

Service Area Map

Coverage area for Gowc East Water System Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary

Service Area Demographics

$49,788
Median Household Income
122,868
Service Area Population
65%
Disadvantaged Population
73th
Poverty Percentile
74th
Energy Burden Percentile
50%
Pre-1986 Housing

The Gowc East Water System serves a community with a median household income of $49,788 and an estimated 122,868 residents across its service area. Approximately 50% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

Environmental Justice Note: 65% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.

💧 Where Does Your Water Come From?

Groundwater

Gowc East Water System's water is pumped from underground aquifers. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.

Moderate Risk
Source Contamination Risk
41th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
27th
Superfund Site Proximity

About 1% of homes in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.

Infrastructure Risk

43 yr
Avg Pipe Age
Copper
Pipe Material
26 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Moderate Wear
Decay Status
Installed 62% of expected lifespan used End of life

PFAS Detected in Service Area

PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 1 detection recorded.

Health concern: PFAS are linked to cancer, thyroid disease, immune suppression, and developmental effects. They do not break down naturally.
Recommended filter: Reverse osmosis (RO) or activated carbon filters certified for PFAS removal. Find the right filter →

Comparable Water Systems

Similar-sized systems in Louisiana

D 0 violations
B 6 violations
C 0 violations
0 violations
C 27 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

Flood Insurance Water Filtration PFAS Treatment
Flood Insurance $1,543
Water Filtration $600
PFAS Treatment $71
Total Estimated Cost $2,214

Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.

Cost of Inaction

If water quality issues in this service area are not addressed, the estimated financial impact per household is:

PFAS Exposure — Lifetime Cost $1,000

Per person (emerging research est.)

Estimated Cumulative Cost Per Household

5 years
$165
10 years
$330
20 years
$660

Compare: Estimated remediation cost is $2,214 (one-time) vs. $330 in estimated inaction costs over 10 years.

Estimates based on published EPA, CDC, and peer-reviewed research. Individual costs vary by household size, property, and health factors. These are conservative lower-bound estimates intended for awareness, not financial advice.

System Overview

Gowc East Water System (EPA ID: LA1073121) is a community water system in Louisiana that serves approximately 11,742 people from groundwater sources.

This system provides water to 7 ZIP codes across 5 communities.

Violation History

No violations recorded — This water system has no recorded EPA violations in the past 5 years.

Lead & Copper

No Lead and Copper Rule sampling data available for this water system.

Need help with your water quality?

Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400

Find the Right Water Filter

Free tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.

ZIP Codes Served

Coverage: 4 ZIP codes confirmed via EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 plus 3 additional ZIPs inferred from SDWIS registry data. The EPA-confirmed set is the most reliable; SDWIS-inferred entries may be narrower than the real deployment area.

Data Sources

This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Gowc East Water System (LA1073121) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Gowc East Water System water safe to drink?

Based on EPA records, Gowc East Water System has no recorded violations in the past 5 years — a positive indicator of water quality management.

How many people does Gowc East Water System serve?

Gowc East Water System serves approximately 11,742 people across 7 ZIP codes in Louisiana.

Where does Gowc East Water System get its water?

The primary water source is groundwater.

Contact Your Water Utility

Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.

Phone
318-322-3741
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.

Contact information from Gowc East Water System Consumer Confidence Report.

ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.

Water Source & Treatment

Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.

Source
ground_water
Disinfectant used
Chlorine

Source: Gowc East Water System Consumer Confidence Report.

ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Tested Clean

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were detected.

Samples collected
116

Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.

Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →

Understand PFAS health context and filtration →

Lead Service Line Inventory

Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:

0
Confirmed Lead
0
Galvanized — Replacement Required
0
Unknown Material
4,138
Confirmed Non-Lead

This system reports zero confirmed lead service lines in its inventory. Unknown-material counts may still warrant verification.

Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.

Federal Regulatory Status · 2026Q1
LCRR inventory submission: Reported all required service line types
Latest tap sample on 2023-07-01 did not exceed the federal lead action level.
Population served: 11,742
Reported to Louisiana

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Service Line Inventory (Phase 2) · Submitted 2026

ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.

Learn about lead in drinking water →

Aesthetic water quality

These measurements describe the look, taste, and feel of the water this utility delivers. They are not contaminant violations — they sit alongside federal Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs) which the EPA publishes as non-enforceable guidance.

pH
8.71
How acidic or basic the water is on a 0-14 scale. Drinking water is typically near neutral.
EPA secondary range: 6.5 – 8.5
Fluoride
0.7 ppm
Utility does not add fluoride
Measured fluoride concentration in parts per million.
EPA secondary MCL: 2.0 ppm

Aesthetic measurements from Gowc East Water System Consumer Confidence Report.

Aesthetic measurements are reported by the utility from its annual sampling. EPA Secondary MCLs are advisory thresholds — values outside them indicate aesthetic concerns such as taste or appearance, not health violations. Federal contaminant testing is shown in the sections above.

Notable events and violations

This section summarizes events the utility chose to disclose in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report, plus any federal compliance violations the utility recorded against itself. Both lists are utility-authored — ZipCheckup does not audit, judge, or reorder them.

Notable events from the utility's CCR

These bullet entries are the utility's own narration of operational, regulatory, or infrastructure events during the reporting period.

Notable events from Gowc East Water System Consumer Confidence Report:
  • Total coliform found; health effects language included in report

ZipCheckup note: items above reflect what the utility published in its most recent CCR. Federal violation records are also tracked separately by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) — the SDWIS record is the authoritative federal source for any specific regulatory action.

How Water Systems Appear in Rankings

Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use a water filter?
Gowc East Water System meets EPA standards, but a water filter can reduce trace contaminants below detectable levels for added peace of mind.
How many people does Gowc East Water System serve?
Gowc East Water System serves approximately 11,742 people with drinking water across 7 ZIP codes.
What is Gowc East Water System's water source?
Gowc East Water System draws water from groundwater sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
What is the demographic profile of Gowc East Water System's service area?
The Gowc East Water System service area has a median household income of $49,788. EPA EJScreen data classifies 65% of the population as disadvantaged, which may indicate greater vulnerability to environmental health risks.
Where does Gowc East Water System get its water?
Gowc East Water System's water is pumped from underground aquifers. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table. Based on available data, the source contamination risk is moderate.
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